The Hyundai Kona Electric was presented at the end of 2018 in the minimalist and clean city of Oslo. Norway and all the Nordic cities have been the gateway to Europe for electrified models. Its streets already sported charging poles and tourists traveled in Tesla from the airport, long before talking about anti-pollution protocols or a climate emergency in Spain. Its infrastructures, the network of stations and the vast access to (national) renewable energies have been the best breeding ground for the definitive transition. It was the perfect place to present Hyundai’s first 100% electric SUV , a compact SUV that barely showed any visual differences from combustion models. The Kona Electric was among the first to bet on a friendly and well-known image, giving prominence to its propulsion system.
After an unexpected success, which increased the waiting list of future customers, and the cold breath of the fines for emissions behind the neck, the Korean company confirmed that it would triple its production. The Czech Republic plant was due to start manufacturing this March 2020 . The coronavirus has truncated Western plans (in the short term), but its plant in Ulsan (South Korea) also had to increase the pace of production. Furthermore, the firm’s plans do not seem to change and they intend to market more than 80,000 zero-emission units in Europe. Among those electric vehicles is the Kona EV, a model that surprised by its autonomy, comfort and driving.
The Hyundai Kona Electric is available in two variants: one with a 39.2 kWh battery and the other with 64 kWh . The first of them, offers a power of 136 hp and a range of 289 kilometers, enough for a purely urban use and that starts from 35,050 euros. The second, more recommended and versatile, yields 204 hp and reaches 449 kilometers of autonomy (WLTP cycle) . Its price shoots up to 40,050 euros but, taking into account its benefits and autonomy, it is a very interesting option within the electricity market. We tell you more about the reason for his success in this gallery.
